Striders in Action
Alan’s World
Alan has been sharing some personal reflections with us, and we’d like to share them with you…
Age 53 | 102nd Penn Relays
On April 28,1995, I was standing in a pouring rainstorm and driving wind as a member of the World Class Track Club to compete in the 4 Laps by 400 Meters Relay. The name being arrogantly chosen by the 4 of us because we believed we would win no matter how good or how many teams we would compete against. Team members in order of running were Dennis Duffy, me, Dave Walter, and Steve Robbins, the 400 Meter World Record holder of the challenge to run 400 meters in a time in seconds less than the runner’s age. Steve ran a 51.38 second 400 meters before he turned 51 years 5 months. (5/12=0.42) His record still stands. The closest to Steve’s record is 51-year-old Moses Naidoo 400-meter time in 2024 of 51.45. Close but no cigar.
My point is with Steve running anchor on our team we were highly likely to win. The final minutes leading our turn to run seemed like ages. With thousands of spectators in the University of Pennsylvania stands, we were all amped so high before the race everyone’s pulse rate was about 130 just standing there in the rain waiting.
The other teams knew all about Steve by his 50-54 master’s world records in the sprints (50, 60, 100, 200, and the World Record in 400 meters in 51.62. FYI: Now the WR for the 50-54 age group men’s masters 400 meters is 50.51 by Juan Luis Lopez Anaya from Spain, 11 hundredths of a second faster.
The 6 other teams in our 400-meter race all tried to order the runners on their teams so that they would be ahead of us after 3 laps. In other words, they put their fastest 3 runners on laps 1,2,3.
Their strategy worked. One team was in 1st place after 3 laps. They had a 20–25-meter lead when Steve took the baton. Since I had run the 2nd leg, I was rested enough to watch Steve take the baton and scoot. What a treat!
Steve gained on the 1st place guy so fast that he passed him right at the 200 meters mark and floated home to win by about 25 meters.
With a name as presumptuous and egotistical as World Class Track Club, it’s good thing we won.
In terms of sheer numbers of participants and fans, the Penn Relays is the largest track meet in the United States with over 600 relay races being run for all ages of runners during the 3-day event. Approximately 400 teams from high schools, colleges, universities, and track clubs from all over the US go test their metal at this annual Philadelphia event.
Pictured left to right are Steve Robbins (53), Dave Walter (51), Dennis Duffy (53), and Alan Olson (53).
L to R: Steve Robbins (53), Dave Walter (51), Dennis Duffy (53), and Alan Olson (53)
Age 33 | Palomar Superstars 1976
The core of my clique of friends at this time in my life were members of the SDTC Board of Directors of which I was one. Others were Ken Bernard, President of AAU and then USATF in San Diego, Bob Pippin, current (1976) SDTC President; Graeme Shirley, 2:31 marathoner and my running coach who coached me to a PR 2:03.4 800 meters; Lish Bache, National class woman distance runner who beat me in a couple 10K races; Ed Oleta, National Masters Decathlon winner multiple times; John Salzman, Notre Dame graduate where he ran a 1:51 800 meters weighing 190 pounds in his 6’ frame; Will Rasmussen, 2:43 marathoner whom I only beat once in my life when I ran a PR 1500 meters in 4:24; Niki Hobson, sub 3-hour marathoner winning her age group 50-54 in the Boston Marathon; Dave Baxter, PhD Physicist who discovered and proved the rings of Saturn are significantly differ than the astro physics community believed them to be; and Laurie Olson, my wife who was the Editor of the monthly SDTC Newsletter and an incredible all-around athlete (me bragging) with a mile PR of 5:31 and could consistently throw a standard football in a perfect spiral 90 feet (home to 1st base) and consistently catch a 90 foot pass and the Cour-de-Graw beating me by a few hundred yards in a 40 mile bike race in the hilly region around Lake Otay. I tried so hard to beat her because she had just divorced me. My male ego and pride were obliterated!
A few of us SDTC BOD members heard about a men’s only event in North County called the PALOMAR SUPERSTARS. John Salzman and I decided to give it a go. With about 90 athletes in 3 age groups: Open (any age up to 29), Sub-Masters (age 30-39), and Masters (age 40+). There were 10 events scored by place of the first 5 competitors to finish in each event: 5th =1 point; 4th = 2 points, 3rd = 3 points, 2nd= 4 points, 1st=5 points. The sum of all points a competitor gets in all ten events determines your overall place in the event in your age group. Thus, 5 trophies in each age group were distributed. The 10 events were:
1) 4 Mile cycle race in which I placed 3rd for 3 points.
2) Flexibility measured by a variety of timed stretches the same for everyone. I did not score.
3 )Strength measured in a way I can’t remember because my score was 4.39 and I have no idea what that means. I did not score.
4) Agility measured in seconds running through an obstacle course. I placed 4th for 2 points.
5) Standing vertical jump measured in inches. I jumped 29.5 inches but wasn’t in the top 5 so I did not score.
6) 50-yard swim of a 25-yard pool measured in seconds. I swam all out in 31.2 seconds. I placed 4th for 2 points. I swam so hard my running shorts came off. There was considerable laughter and belittling but no big deal.
7) 100 Yard Dash scored by time in seconds. I sprinted 11.3 seconds and placed 2nd for 4 points.
8) Standing long jump scored in feet and inches. I scored 8 feet and scored 5th for 1 point.
9) Number of Sit-ups in 1 minute. I scored 48 but I was not in the top 5 so 0 points.
10)Last was a 2-mile run on the Palomar College dirt track. I ran 11:18 and won getting 5 points for first place = 17 points total.
I am happy to report that I got 2nd place in my age group. I am proud to brag I was 2nd overall for everyone that competed because the overall winner was in my age group.
Being 2nd out of the whole field of athletes is why this particular athletic event seems like it was more impressive than my 2:54:23 Boston Marathon and my 400 meters victory in the 1995 National Masters age 50-54 Indoor Championship. My 2nd overall certainly demonstrated a much broader athletic skill set than a running event.
Thus, the picture of the trophy below is the only trophy, medal, or ribbon I still have. All the others have found their way to who knows where.
Similarly, the picture following the trophy is the event t-shirt which is one of the few t-shirts I have kept for posterity as in my heirs will be the ones to throw it away. Better said, if I remember (unlikely) I’ll be wearing it the day I “kick the bucket.”
Superstars Trophy
Superstars T-Shirt